The magnitude of the current
in segment B is 5 amperes.
The figure shows a simple DC circuit, where the current flows from left to right in wire segment A and then splits into two branches B and C at junction 1.
The ammeter on the left side of the figure measures the total current I, which is 5 amperes.
Since the current is conserved at junction 1, the sum of the currents in branches B and C must be equal to the total current I. In this case, the current in branch B (
) is 5 amperes.
- The current in branch C (
) is 3 amperes. - The arrow next to
and
indicates the direction of the current flow. - The ammeter on the right side of the figure is measuring the current
in branch C.
The magnitude of the current
in segment B can be calculated from the figure showing the currents through several segments of a wire as shown above.